Tournament creates two international awards to honor Nelson

Byron Nelson Championship officials have created two international award programs to honor the memory of the tournament's namesake.

The Salesmanship Club of Dallas announced Thursday the creation of the Byron Nelson Prize and the Byron Nelson International Junior Golf Awards.

The Byron Nelson Prize will be given to a person or organization in the golf world who exemplifies the ideals of "giving back" that Nelson personified. The first recipient will be announced at the opening ceremony of the tournament April 24, and will receive a $100,000 contribution to the charity of its choice.

The junior awards will be carry on Nelson's legacy for encouraging young golfers. Junior golfers from around the world will be identified by an international panel and the finalists invited each year to the tournament.

"Our theme is 'Byron's Work for the Kids Continues' because it reflects the many facets of Byron's life and the beneficiaries of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship," said Mac Wesson, president of the Salesmanship Club.

Nelson valued helping others more than his personal achievements on the golf course, including his mesmerizing streak of 11 victories in a row in 1945, when he won 18 tournaments.

Nelson died of natural causes Sept. 26. He was 94.

The golfer known as "Lord Byron" was the first to have a PGA Tour event named after him in 1968, and this will be the first without him.

His presence helped make the tournament a popular stop for players, whom he greeted as they finished their rounds, and the biggest charity fund-raiser on the PGA Tour. It has given more than $94 million to charities since its inception.